ESO Summer Research Programme 2026 – Project B

Big Science Sweden; München; Vor Ort; EUR 4.464 - 8.928; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

A leading research organization in Germany is inviting university students to apply for its Summer Research Programme. This internship offers STEM students hands-on experience in astrochemistry, focusing on the investigation of molecular clouds as triggers for star formation. Applicants must have completed at least two years of their degree and possess knowledge in physics, programming, and data analysis techniques. Selected students will work with advanced tools and data to explore the dynamics of interstellar medium.

Qualifikationen

• University students in STEM fields who have completed at least two years of their degree.
• Strong motivation to join the programme.
• Ability to work with data analysis and interpretation.

Aufgaben

• Investigate shock-driven shaping of molecular clouds.
• Work with millimetre data analysis.
• Create maps of different gas species and analyze emission spectra.

Kenntnisse

Knowledge of physics

Programming

Data analysis techniques

Knowledge of astronomy

Ausbildung

University degree in STEM fields

Tools

Cube Analysis and Rendering Tool for Astronomy (CARTA)

Python

Jobbeschreibung

Datum: 31 januari, 2026 Tid: 11:59

Placering: ESO

Mer information

Within the Directorate for Science at its Headquarters in Garching, near Munich, Germany, ESO is inviting university students to apply to our ESO Summer Research Programme. The ESO Summer Research Programme is an opportunity for university students from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields who have not yet started a PhD programme and have completed at least two years of their degree.

Applications for the ESO Summer Research Programme will be considered from students taking any astronomy, physical science, computer science or mathematical degree subjects. However, it is expected that students have some knowledge of physics, programming, data analysis techniques and, preferably, astronomy.

Students will be selected for the programme based on their academic achievements, research potential and likelihood to significantly benefit from the experience. Particular attention will be given to the motivation of the students to join the programme and specific motivation for Project B:

Project B: Tracing shock-driven shaping of molecular clouds as a trigger for star formation

Stars form from the collapse of overdensities in molecular clouds. But what triggers the formation of these overdensities and the subsequent gravitational collapse? External feedback, such as expanding bubbles or supernova-driven shocks, can compress the ambient gas and trigger sequences of shocks that reshape the cloud and promote star formation. This is, however, a difficult phenomenon to observe and characterise, and we still know little about it. This project will focus on examining NGC 1333 in the Perseus molecular cloud, a Solar-type star-forming region, where gas kinematics and chemistry show signs of shock-driven compression (De Simone et al. 2022a). Using astrochemistry, the most powerful diagnostic tool to infer the dynamical and chemical properties of star-forming regions, and analysing different molecular species (such as SiO, SO, H2CS, CH3OH, etc), the student will investigate how such energetic events can shape the morphology of the interstellar medium and the fate of future newborn stars.

During the project, the student will learn to work with IRAM 30m data using tools such as the Cube Analysis and Rendering Tool for Astronomy (CARTA) and custom Python scripts. They will create maps of different gas species, explore their velocity structure, and analyse emission spectra to derive quantitative information such as gas column densities and temperature. Through this work, the student will gain hands-on experience in millimetre data analysis, astrochemical interpretation, and the broader connection between interstellar shocks and star formation.